On 12 February 2026, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), together with the Environment Agency, updated guidance on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging. The EPR framework requires UK organisations supplying or importing packaging to provide evidence of recycling through Packaging Recycling Notes (PRNs) and Packaging Export Recycling Notes (PERNs), meet material-specific recycling obligations, and pay waste disposal fees. Large organisations must directly obtain PRNs and PERNs from accredited reprocessors or exporters, while all producers must report packaging data via the Report Packaging Data (RPD) service. Guidance covers recycling targets for 2025–2027, accounting for groups and subsidiaries, and the calculation of fees for household packaging. The regulations aim to ensure packaging waste is responsibly managed, recycled, and that producers contribute to the environmental cost of packaging disposal.

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Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra); Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR); Packaging Recycling Notes (PRNs); Packaging Export Recycling Notes (PERNs); Packaging Data; Recycling Obligations; Waste Disposal Fees; Packaging Material; Compliance; Large Organisations; Report Packaging Data (RPD) Service; Household Packaging; Defra Guidance; Environment Agency